I saw the commercial for Wilfred last night during the Justified show.

Here is FX's Storyline for Wilfred

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxnetworks.com

Wilfred is a half-hour, live-action comedy about "Ryan," a young man struggling unsuccessfully to make his way in the world until he forms a unique friendship with "Wilfred," his neighbor's canine pet. Everyone else sees Wilfred as just a dog, but Ryan sees a crude and somewhat surly, yet irrepressibly brave and honest Australian bloke in a cheap dog suit. While leading him through a series of comedic and existential adventures, Wilfred the dog shows Ryan the man how to overcome his fears and joyfully embrace the unpredictability and insanity of the world around him.

Wilfred is based on the critically acclaimed Australian series of the same title and was adapted for FX by David Zuckerman (Family Guy, American Dad, King of the Hill). Zuckerman also serves as Executive Producer along with Rich Frank, Paul Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz of Prospect Park and Joe Connor and Ken Connor of Renegade, producers of the Australian version of the series. Jason Gann serves as Co-Executive Producer. Wilfred is produced by FX Productions.

Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Happy Feet) stars as "Ryan" and Jason Gann, who co-created and starred in the Australian series, plays the title character "Wilfred." Series regulars also include Fiona Gubelmann as "Jenna," Ryan's beautiful neighbor and Wilfred's owner, and Dorian Brown as "Kristen," Ryan's sister.

TV Review'Wilfred,' here's a dog with new tricksFX comedy dares to rework the old talking dog bit
By Tom Conroy, Media Life Magazine - June 22nd, 2011

Comedians have been anthropomorphizing animals as long as there has been comedy. The old dogs are like guys, cats are like women routine, for example, should be put to sleep.

Somehow FX's new sitcom Wilfred, which features a literally anthropomorphic dog, makes the comedy feel fresh. Even the inevitable jokes for example, ones about face licking and other forms of unwanted canine-human intimacy score more than cheap laughs.

What makes this work is an additional twist. Ryan (Elijah Wood), a suicidal former lawyer, is the only person who sees his neighbor's dog, Wilfred (the Australian actor Jason Gann), as a talking human in a dog suit. To everyone else, he's a cute, slightly naughty dog.

Thus when Wilfred sticks his head lasciviously in the bosom of a friendly waitress, Ryan is disgusted. The waitress, meanwhile, says delightedly, He likes me!

The show runs quickly through most of the commonplaces about dogs, but always wittily. After Wilfred's owner, Ryan's pretty neighbor Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann), drops him off at Ryan's house, Ryan tries to pretend he's not panicking. I'm 7 years old, Ryan, Wilfred says. I'm too old and too wise for lies. I can smell your fear like I smell the sour milk in the fridge.

Most of the plots are driven by another comedy staple: A timid dupe is dragged into various fine messes and out of his comfort zone by his more aggressive friend.

In the premiere, airing this Thursday, June 23, at 10 p.m., Wilfred persuades Ryan to blow off his first day at a new job and then manipulates him into robbing and vandalizing the home of the motorcycle-riding neighborhood bully, Spencer (Ethan Suplee).

The tables are turned slightly in the second episode, in which Ryan tricks Wilfred into going to the vet. Wilfred retaliates by planting a disgusting thought about Jenna in Ryan's head.

Throughout the three episodes FX made available for review, Wilfred maintains that he's disrupting Ryan's life for Ryan's own good. This isn't an original premise either, but Jason Gann, who co-created the Australian original version of the series, keeps us guessing whether Wilfred is really trying to help Ryan or is simply enjoying the chaos.

Gann also alternates convincingly between being a vulgar wise guy the language and marijuana smoking definitely rule this show out for kids and being doggily naïve. Though he never strives to be cute, he often is anyway, especially in a scene in which Spencer teases Wilfred with a laser pointer.

Elijah Wood proves to be an adept second banana, which, as comedy experts say, is the harder of the two roles.

Surprisingly, even after the show seems to have run through the obvious jokes, the laughs keep coming. Although the premise may seem only good enough for a sketch, Wilfred could be around for dozens of dog years.

TV NotesElijah Wood's new pet project is 'Wilfred'The 'Lord of the Rings' star says FX's off-the-wall new series featuring a talking dog is just the change of pace he was looking for.
By Katherine Tulich, Los Angeles Times - June 23rd, 2011

It's a sunny day in Venice as two residents out walking their dogs stroll past what looks like a local block party only it's a set with actors, one of whom is dressed in a floppy-eared dog suit. They innocently inquire: "Is this a Disney show?"

"Hardly," actor Elijah Wood says and laughs. After all, this is no ordinary dog: Wilfred is a foul-mouthed, bong-smoking, beer-drinking pooch with an Aussie accent, the titular character of FX's new half-hour comedy series, premiering Thursday.

Wood plays Ryan, a young ex-lawyer having an emotional meltdown. In the first episode he's drafting suicide notes and trying to overdose on pain-pill smoothies. His attempts at ending it all are interrupted when his attractive neighbor Jenna (played by Fiona Gubelmann) asks him to mind her dog, Wilfred (played by Jason Gann, who co-created the series and played the same role in the original Australian version), who Ryan sees as a man in a cheap dog suit. This sets up an unlikely buddy comedy in which Wilfred becomes Ryan's devious wingman.

Gann and Wood are shooting scenes from an episode titled "Isolation" in which Wilfred goads introverted Ryan to partake in a block party and meet some of his neighbors. While they fuss and pet Wilfred (who everyone else sees as an ordinary, friendly dog), Ryan awkwardly engages in conversation with an elderly resident (played by veteran actor George Coe) with embarrassing results.

"Wilfred acts as a life coach, bodyguard and saboteur all in one," says Gann, who strips down to his furry pants and white undershirt between takes to cool off. But there are also plenty of reminders that he is still a dog, chasing cars and digging holes in the backyard. There are even four different dog suits. "This is the one that looks like he's just had a bath," explains Gann, who in real life prefers the company of cats (he has two at home).

"That's what made this such a unique but broadly relatable idea," says John Landgraf, president and general manager of FX Networks. "How many people have dogs and wish they could talk to them, and [wonder] what that dog would say back to them?"

FX hopes this will be one foreign comedy import that's not lost in translation. After the failure of the diluted remake of another much-loved Australian comedy, "Kath & Kim," Gann acknowledges die-hard fans are worried.

"They think [Americans will] ruin it, but I wouldn't have made this show if I didn't think it would be a lot better," he says.

"The fact that we have one of the original cast and creators was very important to me," says Wood, best known for his role as Frodo in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. "It gave me the reassurance that we would keep the integrity of what they did in Australia."

"I never imagined I would still be in a dog suit when I'm 40," says the 39-year-old Gann, who is just as deadpan and no-nonsense as his canine alter ego. "When they started to mention [American] actors they thought could do this, like David Arquette or Zach Galifianakis, I said, 'Where's the suit? I'm doing it.'"

Gann conceived the initial idea with fellow Aussie actor Adam Zwar (who played the Ryan role in the original version) after Zwar relayed a story of dating a girl with a pesky pet dog. "I started pretending I was the dog, smoking cigarettes, asking nosy questions just mucking around. We didn't really think we were creating anything," says Gann.

They made a short film that won awards in Sydney's Tropfest and screened at Sundance in 2003. It became a TV series that first aired in 2007 (IFC ran it last year). The basic conceit of the original show was a lighthearted triangle between a hapless boyfriend, his girlfriend and her interfering pooch, but this one takes a much darker twist.

"Every episode explores a theme of recovery and each week Ryan learns a lesson about living his life courageously and being happy and we never quite know what Wilfred's real intentions are: Is he a force for good or bad?" says show runner David Zuckerman, nestled on a bench on the patio of the Venice Woodsman cottage, which doubles as Ryan's house.

"We spent a lot of time talking about the character's psychology," continues Zuckerman, who previously worked on the animated series "King of the Hill," "American Dad" and "Family Guy." "But we also do an awful lot of fart jokes so it really depends on what you are looking for in an evening's entertainment."

For Wood, who is making his first foray into series television, "Wilfred" is a chance to try comedy, though it might come as a shock to see Frodo smoking bongs and discussing toilet habits.

"Because 'Rings' is so forward in people's heads, I was definitely interested in doing something that was smaller and very different," says Wood, who returns to Middle-earth later this year when he films a flash-forward in Peter Jackson's upcoming "The Hobbit." "This was one of the funniest and most original scripts I had ever read."

Chris Klein, who guest stars in four episodes as Jenna's obnoxious boyfriend, says Wood is ideal for the role. "Something that most people don't know about Elijah is that he is incredibly funny, so a show like 'Wilfred' is a perfect fit for him," he says.

For FX, whose other boundary-pushing comedies include "Louie" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," Wood's name on the marquee is a big bonus. "We make low-budget comedies. We would never have had the audacity to offer it to Elijah," says FX's Landgraf. "I think we caught an enormous stroke of luck."

The show has also attracted an impressive lineup of guest stars, including Klein, Jane Kaczmarek, Dwight Yoakam, Ed Helms, Rashida Jones and Mary Steenburgen, who plays Ryan's free-spirited mother.

"I'm a huge dog person, so this just appealed in so many ways," says Steenburgen, who shares a very funny make-out scene with Wilfred, who she sees as merely an affectionate dog.

It's time for a lunch break on set and the writers are discussing ideas for future episodes. One suggests having Wilfred drink from a toilet bowl with a shot glass.

"That's what I love all these dog moments," Wood says and laughs. "I don't think this is anything like what I've seen on television before. It's unique, dark and strange."

That's exactly what I was thinking when I first saw a description of the show. Calvin & Hobbes, where a young boy sees his stuffed tiger as his living, breathing, wisecrack-making best friend, was one of the most innovative and consistently funny comics in recent memory. It's creator, Bill Watterson burned out relatively young and decided to live on the massive merchandising residuals I guess.

Interestingly, he was not alone in that department. Other brilliant comic creators who burned out and retired early include Gary Larson (The Far Side), Berkeley Breathed (Bloom County), and even Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury) needed a multi-year sabbatical in mid-career to rest and recharge before resuming his strip.

Writing a consistently funny comic must be very difficult (because it's so rare) and apparently also highly stressful because the best ones burn out early or else just keep going long after their creative juices have run dry, i.e. Charles Shultz. Peanuts stopped being funny in about 1970 but Shultz never had the dignity to retire.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I first saw a description of the show. Calvin & Hobbes, where a young boy sees his stuffed tiger as his living, breathing, wisecrack-making best friend, was one of the most innovative and consistently funny comics in recent memory. It's creator, Bill Watterson burned out relatively young and decided to live on the massive merchandising residuals I guess.

Actually Bill Watterson resisted merchandising, much to the chagrin of his syndicate.

But I think the comparison is accurate, in a very adult form! I look forward to more

I thought it was pretty good. Not as good as I had hoped but I liked it and will watch. I nice to see a show thats not about cops or robbers or cops and robbers and the lawyers that prosecute and defend cops and robbers.

I watched it a second time tonight with my cousin, we both had a good time, he thought it was funny too.

Just have to comment no how far the bar had moved on what is acceptable on TV. True, it's basic cable, but BC never seems to get much more explicit that OTA TV. The went far, far beyond what I expected on a non-pay channel. Not that that is bad, just surprising to me. And not just the language either.... The boot bit I did not expect.

Actually Bill Watterson resisted merchandising, much to the chagrin of his syndicate.

But I think the comparison is accurate, in a very adult form! I look forward to more

Bill watterson not only resisted merchandising, he resisted doing more when he felt he'd done what he could.

I think Wilfred is more like Tyler (Brad Pitt) in Fight Club, where the alter ego is the cool/bad boy that does all the cool/bad things the main character wants to do. Hobbes is more like Calvin's superego. Hobbes is there to thwart or mock Calvin as often as he is to help or urge him on. It's not all clear what exactly Hobbes is, since he often appears much more mature and has greater insights into Calvin's character and life in general than Calvin himself does. Hobbes isn't strictly a projection of Calvin's fantasies.

The show is pretty okay. I found the humping the waitress scene disturbingly hot!

Btw, how does fx get away with all the materials they do. Its not just the language, but subject matters. This show is actually tame compared to, say, the raunchy sex talk on Rescue Me or the very black humor jokes on Louie. All those watchdog groups that go bonkers over stuff on other networks, even the pay ones like Showtime, apparently just never watch fx. Or maybe they outsource their screening to Indians who only watch for nudity, teenage sex, and gay men kissing.

Nielsen Overnights (Cable)'Wilfred' Most-Watched Comedy Series Premiere Ever For FX
By the Deadline.com Team - June 24th, 2011

FX’s new comedy series Wilfred got off to a great start last night. At 10 PM, the comedy starring Elijah Wood drew 2.6 million total viewers to become the network's most-watched comedy series premiere ever. It also posted 1.6 million viewers in the adults 18-49 demo and 834,000 adults 18-34, with the 18-34 number also an FX comedy premiere record.

At 11:34 PM, Louie opened its second season with 1.6 million total viewers and 1 million adults 18-49, up 42% in both categories compared with its first-season premiere episode last June.

I didn't find it as funny as I hoped, based on the promos and previews I saw and read. It was moderately funny, but had as many flops as yuks. The idea is an interesting one and I'll watch some more, but it was just okay for me. Wood plays the straight man pretty well and the hot neighbor plays hot pretty well too.

Ray"You cannot reason a person out of a position he did not reason himself into in the first place." -Jonathan Swift

I did notice a big problem in the execution of the plot; the 2 main characters are not likable enough.

The doggie-boy is too acerbic.
This would be OK later on for following episodes, but it is the kiss of death for the beginning of a series.
It is vital to give the audience a reason to tune in on a regular basis.
The writers should have taken a look at the evolution of Homer Simpson...

Just saw the first episode and thought it was pretty good. The little antics Wilfred does are hilarious. My dog spins 3 or 4 times before sitting down, laughed hard when Wilfred spun before sitting on the couch

Second episode left me much as the first, a few good laughs but more often not that funny. The vet setup was kind of fun and a couple of other bits, but it's often a bit bland for me. I realize the 'message' of Wilfred being the life coach to Wood's character, but it needs a bit more humor in the delivery with somewhat more likable characters.

Ray"You cannot reason a person out of a position he did not reason himself into in the first place." -Jonathan Swift